Colombo, Nov 29: Sri Lanka on Saturday struggled to recover from the widespread devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah, with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declaring a nationwide state of emergency as the death toll climbed beyond 150. Harrowing accounts of families buried under landslides and entire settlements swept away by flash floods continued to pour in from several provinces.
India stepped up its support with around 21 tonnes of relief material flown in on two military transport aircraft under ‘Operation Sagar Bandhu’, a day after delivering the first consignment of over six tonnes of essential supplies. Two Indian search-and-rescue teams, consisting of 80 National Disaster Response Force personnel, also landed in Sri Lanka, while two Chetak helicopters from aircraft carrier INS Vikrant joined the rescue mission.
According to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), 153 deaths have been confirmed since Thursday, while 191 people remain missing amid ongoing rescue operations. The scale of destruction is staggering: 7,74,724 people from 2,17,263 families across 25 districts have been affected, with floods, landslides and heavy rains leaving tens of thousands stranded. As many as 1,00,898 people are currently staying in 798 evacuation centres.
The state of emergency, notified through a gazette issued on Friday and made public on Saturday, gives district secretaries financial authority to spend up to 50 million Sri Lankan rupees for urgent relief. Officials warned that although the cyclone had moved away, indirect weather impacts would persist. Athula Karunanayake, Director-General of the Meteorology Department, said rainfall exceeding 100 mm could continue in several northern and central provinces, while western regions may also witness heavy showers.
Rescue stories from across the country highlighted the scale of the crisis. In Pannala, 25 elderly residents of a care home were swept away by rising waters; 14 were later rescued. In central and southwestern districts, reports of people buried alive continued to emerge. Large pockets of the central province remained completely cut off with roads washed away, power lines down and mobile networks disrupted.
The military said more than 24,000 troops had been deployed, with 2,453 people rescued so far. A dramatic overnight operation in Kalaoya saw the Navy pull out 68 people trapped on a bus. Army Commander Lasantha Rodrigo said India’s support had been “generous and timely”, noting that one Indian aircraft brought essential supplies while the other carried 80 specialised personnel.
Cyclone Ditwah also triggered spills in major reservoirs and rivers, prompting fresh evacuation orders. About 35 per cent of the island has been without electricity since early Friday, affecting nearly seven million customers of the Ceylon Electricity Board, with restoration slowed by continuing rains.
International assistance has begun to flow in. The US announced an immediate allocation of USD 2 million for emergency relief, while the Maldives said it would contribute USD 50,000 along with 25,000 cases of tuna cans to support affected families.
